Health Insurance Parity for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder

April 23, 2025
4:30 PM – 5:45 PM

Millions of Americans affected by mental health disorders, substance use disorder (SUD), or co-occurring disorders are at risk of fatal overdose or suicide. People with health insurance are more likely to seek the treatment they need, but for many years, health insurers placed greater restrictions or financial burdens on mental health and SUD treatment that did not apply to treatment for physical health conditions. Policymakers at the state and federal level have sought to achieve parity in health insurance, that is, treating mental health and SUD benefits the same as medical and surgical benefits. This session will explore the historical barriers that have limited patients’ access to mental health and SUD insurance coverage, steps that have been taken to remove those barriers and establish legal protections for parity, and model legislation that can establish and enforce parity standards at the state level.

View the Rx Summit 2025 agenda here.